


Dark Memories

by Lo_and_behold



Category: Block B
Genre: Angst, Boys In Love, Dogs, Fluff, How do I name, Humor, I cried while writing this, M/M, Non Idol AU, Ouija, Ouija Board, Some Humor, i have no clue how oujia boards work, im sorry, imagine the goth store as hot topic, jaehyo hosts a seance, jiho is caring, kyung is angry, mention of Bobby as a real estate agent, minhyuk is whiny, minor car crash, not so brief minhyuk & taeil, probably more tags, soft, tag yourself im minhyuk, the title sucks, ukwon is a shit head even after death, ukwon's dogs, who am i kidding there's lots of humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-04-06 07:00:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14051496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lo_and_behold/pseuds/Lo_and_behold
Summary: In a non-idol AU, the boys of Block B live in a dorm together. All is well until one night, drunk, Yukwon gets hit by a car. His boyfriend, Jaehyo, is traumatized and moves to a new apartment complex to escape his dark memories. When strange things happen, like finding the shampoo Yukwon's dogs used, Jaehyo plays detective and hosts a seance to determine what, or who, is causing this.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is so angsty I hate myself. I told myself I would never write angst yet here I am. This is based on a prompt "You are haunted by a ghost that doesn't try to scare you, just piss you off by doing little things." I took it and ran. I decided to make it Jaehyo-centric because he needs more love so what's good. This should update maybe once a month, more if I'm feeling squirrely. Thank you for reading!

Jaehyo looked around him, trying to convince himself he made the right choice. He let out a deep breath, trying to collect himself. Nearly 27, he had just moved out of an apartment he shared with his friends and boyfriend. Well…  
_No._ He wasn’t going to start out this way. This is going to be a happy time. But after what happened, how could he be happy? Jaehyo’s body shuddered at the thought as he carried his bag down the hallway. The building his new apartment was in was rather old; the stairs creaked underneath his weight, the lights flickered every so often, and the face of the building was coated in vine after vine of thick, green foliage. That’s what made it cheap though. With no support outside of his minimum wage job, this was the best he could do.  
Finally, door 56 came into sight. With a sigh of relief, he dropped his bag on the old floor, causing a crowd of dust to jump up at him. He searched for his key, but it seemed to have disappeared. Heart rate picking up, he patted down his body, his bag, and even retraced his steps out to his car. Still nowhere to be found. At this point is when the sweat started forming. There is no way Jaehyo was going to lose his key on the first day, so he decided to take a short break before continuing looking. He walked towards the steps leading to the entrance and sat down. When he felt a stab in his behind, he stood up, fishing out the key in question from his pocket. Embarrassed, he smiled to himself. _First day jitters, that’s all it is._

After spending five minutes trying to get the doorknob unstuck, Jaehyo fell down on his bed and took in his surroundings. Everything seemed slightly different from when his real estate agent, Kim Jiwon, had shown him around a few weeks ago. The furniture seemed dustier, and everything seemed a bit… odd. He got a weird vibe like he wasn’t wanted there. He simply brushed this feeling off as another case of first day jitters.  
Once he was finally in his new apartment, he pulled out his phone to take a selfie of his first day alone to send to his friends. He opened up his group chat and typed out a message: “first day here… won’t miss any of u” and hit send with the picture attached. Before tossing his phone on his bed Jaehyo turned on music. The first song to come up was a fast paced song, which was perfect to motivate him. He wanted to get his belongings put away so he wouldn’t have to worry about frantically trying to do it all before he had someone over.  
After a few minutes, a chirp interrupted the song, along with Jaehyo’s cleaning. “The Six Sinners” read his screen. He felt himself grow a bit sad; he missed when it used to be seven. Shaking away the thought, Jaehyo read the message which was from Taeil, the oldest of his friends. “Stay safe and make new friends!” Taeil was always this way. He wanted his friends to be happy, even if that meant he wasn’t.  
“yes eomma” Jaehyo responded with a quiet snicker.  
“Invite us over some time.” Taeil texted back quickly.  
“don’t. i don’t wanna see your cum socks on the floor.” Kyung. Always quite the charmer.  
“Who uses a sock lol? i use Jihos shirts lol” Jihoon, the youngest and possibly the least mature, joined in.  
“im turning my phone off before jiho beats ur ass bye ily.” Before he could even get back to folding his shirts, Jiho was already blowing his phone up, probably threatening to kick Jihoon’s ass, like Jaehyo suspected. Their group had an odd dynamic, but it worked. Taeil was the motherly figure that made sure the rest of the boys ate well and had good days, Minhyuk was too lazy to actually take the group off of mute, Kyung was almost as immature as the youngest with all his pranks, Jiho was easily the most assertive of the group and wasn’t afraid to show it, and the lovable maknae Jihoon. Jaehyo was typically quieter and didn’t pick as many fights as the rest.  
Jaehyo muted his phone, turned his music back on, and continued to put away clothes and various other things.

Towards the end of the day, Jaehyo had nearly everything put away. A few bigger things were still at his old apartment, and they were probably trashed by now. He decided to pick them up eventually. For now, sleep.  
Sleep was harder to achieve than Jaehyo thought. A neighbor from down the hall was blaring some indie music, the floors shrieked with each restless footstep, and the street light outside of his window flickered constantly, providing him with an involuntary front row seat to a strobe light show. After only a few minutes of failing to fall asleep, Jaehyo rose from his new bed and rubbed the sleep from his brown eyes. He stumbled through the darkness and unfamiliarity and flipped the light switch. Eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness, Jaehyo wondered what to do now that he was in a new place with no friends. When someone couldn’t sleep at his old dorm, the boys would club the night away. In hindsight, it might not have been the best idea to get plastered and attempt to walk home. That’s how…  
_Stop it, dumbass. Be happy._  
Jaehyo shook his head and slipped on a pair of shoes and pulled a shirt over his hair. He grabbed his phone from his nightstand and made sure to grab his key. He intended to stop by the small cafe conveniently placed in the lobby of the building. His door, however, had other plans. Tugging furiously at it did him no good, and neither did jiggling the knob. Suddenly, he fell backward as if he was in a tug of war game and his opponent let go. Air rushed out of his body as he hit the floor, and the same pain in his ass from earlier in the day returned.  
_I could have sworn I put it in my front pocket this time…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter and April Fool's Day! If you don't celebrate either, Happy April 1st! Spring is coming, and so is an update! I should actually be finishing this soon, depending on how much free time I have over spring break, and how much I dedicate to actually writing. Enjoy!

“Cafe” was a nice name for where Jaehyo found himself. If Kyung were here, he would have called it just plain sad. An older man sat in one of the rickety chairs in the center of the room, a yellowed cup of coffee and newspaper in his weathered hands. Jaehyo cleared his throat nervously, still not used to his new surroundings. The man looked up, eyes crinkling as his chapped lips stretched into a smile.

“Good evening, young man,” The man spoke, voice coming out half-awake. Jaehyo returned the older man’s smile and bowed his head respectfully. “Couldn’t sleep?”

Jaehyo shook his head slightly. “I’m not quite used to this place yet. It’s my first day here.”

“Grab yourself a mug. The coffee isn’t bad. Sit with me and I’ll tell you how I’ve survived this place for six long years.” He didn’t ask, but Jaehyo didn’t mind.

Over the next fifteen minutes, the man explained his tricks to ignoring the weird noises and the sirens that seemed to pop up every night. Jaehyo learned his wife had died several years ago, prompting him to move here; he said it was better than having to face his wife’s face around every corner. Nodding sympathetically, Jaehyo felt himself detach from the scenario and flashback to a night all too familiar.

_ His group giggled into the open night, cold air brushing their unruly hair out of their ashen faces. His alcohol-laden breath tickled Jaehyo’s neck and he leaned into the sensation. Jihoon howled at the empty street, causing an uproar from the usually quiet Minhyuk.  _

_ “Idiot!” He cried, amused as always with the youngest’s antics. Jihoon jumped around, the alcohol making him even more hyper than usual.  _

_ “Fuck dude,” Taeil groaned from the back of the pack, glasses half hanging off his face. The eldest rubbed his forehead and winced every time Jihoon roused a girly shriek from Minhyuk. Jiho smirked and ruffled his hair, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.  _

_ “Jae, I think I’m invincible,” The voice whispered in his ear, bringing goosebumps to life on his tan skin.  _

_ “Don’t push it, babe,” Jaehyo smirked and held him in his arms. “You’re stupid.” He laughed and shoved him lightly. _

_ “Watch me.” With that, he skipped into the road, dancing wildly. “Dance with me, Jae!” He shouted, causing Jaehyo to roll his eyes.  _

_ “You better get out of the street, asshole.” _

Jaehyo watched from the other side of the road. His voice came out garbled, like he was trapped underwater. “Get him! Get him, you idiot!”   
The shriek pierced his heart like a dagger, ringing in his ears. He hadn’t listened. No one had.   
Crimson seeped into the cracks of the road, and everyone tripped over their drunk selves trying to reach the poor boy. Jaehyo let out a sob as he watched himself gather the limp body into his arms. Blood soaked his clothes, but he didn’t care. None of them cared. Starry eyes gazed into Jaehyo’s eyes as tears trekked down his face. The feel-good  of the alcohol had worn off in an instant as the driver of the car gaped, horrified by the scene in front of him. __   
“Jae…”  
“Baby don’t talk. You’re gonna be okay, you’re gonna be okay.” Jaehyo continued murmuring this into his hair for as long as the boys let him. Before long, Jiho tried pulling  __ Jaehyo from the body in his arms. He retaliated, swinging blindly before landing a punch square on his jaw. Jiho backed away, and Kyung and Jihoon, now somewhat sobered up, took his place. 

_ “The-the ambu-ambulance is here,” Kyung hiccupped placing his hand on Jaehyo’s shoulder. “They gotta-ta take him ‘way now.” He whispered, not wanting to anger him.  _

_ Jaehyo collapsed, and that’s the last thing he remembered of that night. _

 

Brought back to reality by a gentle hand placed on his shoulder, Jaehyo realized there were fresh tears on his face and rubbed fiercely at his face, embarrassed. He brushed off the old man’s hand with a quick sorry before scampering off to his own room.

Jaehyo brought the blankets around him, surrounding himself in a cocoon of musty smelling sheets. It brought him comfort, or at least he thought so. 

With a sharp sob, Jaehyo let sleep swallow him whole. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaehyo invites Jiho over to talk about his inability to get over Yukwon's death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing Jiho! In my story, he's very caring and understanding, especially about Jaehyo's situation.

Jaehyo awoke feeling uneasy, like someone was watching him. With a shudder, he brushed the feeling off and sat up in his bed. Sleep filled his eyes, obstructing his view of the room before him. His hand brushed against his phone as he made his decision. He would invite Jiho over today, even if it scared him to talk about what happened and how he felt. 

The part he was dreading the most was reliving his terror last night. He had run out on that old man before he could even catch his name. Perhaps that’s how the best friendships work; no emotional bonds meant not as much pain when he had to face the inevitable. This nameless old man was bound to leave him at some point, whether it be the hands of death or one of the two moving away. Making friends with the gentle man was a start.

 

“hey”  _ delivered 8:37 a.m. _

 

**New message: z I HO**

“What’s got you up early?”  _ delivered 8:37 a.m. _

 

Jaehyo bit his lip, considering his response, before deciding  _ fuck it.  _ “come over? i wanna talk”  _ delivered 8:39 a.m. _

 

**New message: z I HO**

“Vague.”  _ delivered 8:40 a.m. _

“I’ll be there in 5”  _  delivered 8:40 a.m. _

 

Jaehyo took this time to take a comb through his messy hair and brush his teeth. Being sad didn’t mean he had to look homeless. As promised, Jiho arrived a few minutes after he sent the last text. 

“Cute. Homely. Just the kind of place you would like,” Jiho teased him in addition to a quick side hug.

“At least I don’t live in the same sweats for a week,” Jaehyo retorted.

“You know how into it I get.”

Jaehyo rolled his eyes. “I made a friend last night.”

Cocking an eyebrow, Jiho prompted the older to continue.

“I never got his name. I kinda uh…” Jaehyo trailed off, uncertain. “I ran off crying. I couldn’t sleep so I went down to the little lounge area. This man started talking to me about his wife and she died a few years ago and it just…” Jiho’s face fell from the easy-going expression he sported with his friends. He sat on the bed next to his friend and enveloped him in a hug. “I just still miss him.”

“I know you do. We all do.”

A moment passed where Jaehyo felt comfortable. At least until Jiho said, “You smell like Ddol.”

“Asshole, why would you say that?” Jaehyo sniveled into the younger’s shoulder.

“You do.” Jiho replied, defensive. “I’m not saying that to be a dick or anything.”

Jaehyo rolled his eyes and used his sleeve to wipe away his tears. “I feel bad for running out on that man last night.”

“You have nothing to feel bad for. He didn’t… go through what you did…” Jiho danced around the subject, not wanting to hit a nerve. Jaehyo appreciated this. Well, at least part of him did. The other part wanted to slap him again. He’s not a child; he can handle the death of his best friend. 

Still, Jaehyo feels weak and drained. Thinking about that night hurts more than he would have imagined. It’s better than the months he spent feeling nothing in a way. He wouldn’t eat, and sometimes he wouldn’t even get up from his bed for days at a time. The rest of the boys would try to coax him out of his room with incentives like making him food or watching his favorite movies with him. Occasionally, something would strike a certain chord, causing him to break down in tears. Not so old wounds would tear open and he would lay bleeding, embarrassed, in front of his friends. Eventually, the group learned what would cause this and did their best to avoid those topics. 

Drowsiness hit Jaehyo like a freight train; like the car…

_ Stop it.  _

He felt his head hit the broad expanse of Jiho’s shoulder, and he was pulled into the icy waters of a nap brought on by exhaustion. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Light streamed in from the window pane to his right. It hit Jaehyo’s eyelids, rousing him from his sleep. He groaned, rubbing his head gingerly. Headaches always plagued him after one of those naps. He found himself wrapped in his bed sheets, hair strewn across his forehead, and alone. Jiho had left sometime while Jaehyo had slept. He doesn’t blame him. 

Jaehyo stood, grabbing the nightstand next to him to balance himself. He crept towards the dusty mirror that hung on the wall by the front door. As expected, his eyelids had puffed up significantly; his eyelids swelled whenever he cried like he did.

A bottle of shampoo on his desk caught his eye. A small slip of paper sat next to it, with Jiho’s slanted handwriting scribbled on it. 

It read, “Hey. I showered. Hope you don’t mind. I found this btw. Maybe that’s why you smell like Ddol?”

Looking at the bottle, a small dog grinned up at him. Why was there dog shampoo in his shower? Popping the cap open, Ddol’s smell permeated the air. 

Ddol was his boyfriend’s dog. Now, he lived with the boys, along with his other dogs. It was interesting living with so many dogs and Taeil’s fish; there was never a lack in messes to clean or pets to feed. He missed Ddol. 

He sat the bottle to the side. Maybe Jiho had brought it just to mess with him? Would he really, though? Jiho was a caring person, despite his rough exterior. Jaehyo ruled that out as a possibility. Had he mistakenly brought it along with him? Or maybe a ghost had brought it? Maybe the ghost had hid his key as well?

Jaehyo snorted and walked off, preparing for his day. 

 

He returned late at night, exhausted. This time, he made sure to put his key in his front pocket. Jaehyo yawned as he fished his key out of his pocket. When he entered, he felt the eyes of someone pierce his abdomen. Uneasy, he flicked on the lights. What he found was everything the way he had left it. At this point, Jaehyo was used to the layout of his apartment. He pulled out his phone after kicking off his shoes and scrolled through his social media absentmindedly.

“Ah fuck,” he murmured as his toe hit something hard on the floor. “I could have sworn that dresser wasn’t there…” He fell back onto his bed. Or, at least he tried to. Air rushed out of his abdomen as only half of his back hit the bed, causing him to fall to the floor. “That’s funny, ghost. Hide my keys, torture me with memories of my dead boyfriend, and move my furniture. Real funny, asshole.” Jaehyo muttered the last part. It’s not like he really believed there was a ghost haunting him, right?

 

The next morning, Jaehyo awoke early. He glanced around. Nothing out of the ordinary, as usual. He pulled himself out of bed and shuffled to the desk where Ddol’s shampoo was last night. Just thinking about it reminded him of the times he had helped bathe him in the dorm’s bathroom. Water had gotten everywhere and he smelled like dog for at least a week, but it made Yukwon happy. Knowing that he could never make his boyfriend smile like he did that day again tore him apart inside every day. 

The shampoo, along with Jiho’s scribbled note, had disappeared from the table. “Hey ghost? If you’re listening, get a life. Oh wait…” Jaehyo smirked, then groaned. “I’m talking to a ghost. My life is about as existent as yours, ghostie boy. Whatever. I’m getting coffee. Feel free to not follow me.” 

The coffee wasn’t the best, but Jaehyo was delighted to find his friend sitting in the same spot. The man smiled warmly, seemingly inviting him to sit with him once more. “Hello. I haven’t seen you around.” Jaehyo smiled, embarrassed, and sat in the chair opposite the man. 

“I have something to ask you,” Jaehyo blurted before he could stop himself. He could feel his cheeks turn a vibrant red.

However, the man seemed unphased by his sudden outburst; his gentle smile encouraged Jaehyo.

“Has anyone ever… died here?” Jaehyo hid himself behind his mug.

The man thought on it for a moment. “Not that I can think of. Why ask?”

Jaehyo shrugged, trying to come off as nonchalant. “Just wondering. I like knowing the history around where I live.” He nodded. “By the way, I don’t think I caught your name. I’m Jaehyo.”

The man offered his hand, which Jaehyo accepted and shook firmly, accompanied with a short nod. “Haesung. It’s a pleasure.” He took a sip of his coffee before asking, “What brings you here?”

“Oh I don’t have work until two and I-”

“No.” Haesung interrupted him. “What brings you here here? Why have you moved here?”

“Well-” Jaehyo laughed awkwardly, bringing his left hand up to rub the back of his neck- “it’s kind of a funny-not-so-funny-story.”

Haesung looked at him expectantly, encouraging him to tell his story. 

“My six friends from high school and I decided to move in to a big dorm together after college. We had all just graduated college, so of course we were dirt poor. We still are. One night, we decided to go out and have some fun. Maybe we had a bit too much to drink, and we were goofing around maybe too much. My friend started dancing in the street, and no one thought much of it. It just happened so fast. He died… before he made it to the hospital.” He finished with a sniffle and a short sip of his coffee. 

“I’m sorry for your loss.” His friend patted his hand, despondency shining in his aging eyes. 

“It still hurts sometimes. I figured maybe moving out would be the best way to stop thinking about him, you know?” Jaehyo glanced down at his phone, trying to be discreet.  _ 11:24 a.m. _ The white numbers stared up at him. Two and a half hours until work. “Thank you for listening to me rant. I appreciate it.” Jaehyo smiled respectfully.

“Any time. I could use the human contact, and I’m sure you could too.” Haesung’s deep brown eyes twinkled brightly, accompanied by the teasing tone of his voice. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I decided to post an update early because why not.


	5. Chapter 5

“hey”  _ delivered 3:36 a.m. _

“sorry”  _ delivered 3:39 a.m. _

“im awake and sad again”  _ delivered 3:39 a.m. _

“but whats new lol”  _ delivered 3:41 a.m. _

 

**New message: Monkey (Jihoon)**

“Only old men wake up this early. Im not an old man. Go to sleep jae. Ill talk to you tomorrow. Love you”  _ delivered 4:00 a.m. _

 

“hi”  _ delivered 4:01 a.m. _

“jihoon is ignoring me”  _ delivered 4:01 a.m. _

“talk to me plz”  _ delivered 4:02 a.m. _

“sorry taellie”  _ delivered 4:06 a.m. _

 

**New message: taeillie eomma**

“Are you ok? Why are you up so early?”  _ delivered 4:08 a.m. _

 

“yea. just the recurring sadness”  _ delivered 4:09 a.m. _

 

**New message: taeillie eomma**

“I’ll bring you some tea and we can talk, okay? What is your address?”  _ delivered 4:12 a.m. _

 

Taeil arrived with tea bags.

“I didn’t think you were serious,” Jaehyo commented quietly. He sat on his bed, legs crossed at his ankles. His baggy pajama shirt brushed his thighs as it hung over his slouched figure. “I’m sorry I dragged you here. I thought I would be ready to go out on my own and forget about him.” 

“Jaehyo,” Taeil spoke and pulled a chair in front of his friend. “Maybe you aren’t. But you’re trying. He would have wanted you to try, and he would want you to get over him as best as you can. You and I both know that.” Jaehyo sighed. “Hey, I’m here for you, and so are the rest of the boys. Even if they’re assholes sometimes.” 

Jaehyo remained silent.

“Jiho told me about what happened when he came over the other day…” Taeil hesitated, unsure of how he would react.

He sighed again. “I’m not crazy am I Taeil?” Jaehyo lifted his head and blinked warily. “I think there’s a ghost in my house and it gave me my dead boyfriend’s dog’s shampoo. How messed up is that?” 

“Sometimes…” Taeil started, “I don’t know. It could be part of the grieving process. This is still a fresh wound for us. Especially you.”

Jaehyo stood at an intimidating height of six feet tall, while his friend was only five foot six. He was often described as having a baby face, despite being the oldest of their group. Small eyes tucked away behind his oversized glasses didn’t necessarily help his case, either. Taeil’s face was often shrouded in his glasses and goofy hats. That night, however, he wore neither. He looked older, and tired. Jaehyo had dragged him from his bed at the ass crack of the morning, after all. 

A sigh. “I know,” Jaehyo exhaled, trying to regain his composure. “Thank you for coming over. I know it’s early, and you didn’t have to-”

“Nonsense. I’m always here to support you.” Taeil cut him off with a weary smile.

Not expecting himself to, Jaehyo leaned in and wrapped his lanky arms around Taeil. “I’m not gay, but I love you, dude.”

Taeil’s body shook slightly with the force of a small laugh. “That’s hyung to you, smart ass.” He leaned back and flicked Jaehyo’s forehead playfully. “Get some sleep bud. You need it. I’ll leave the tea here and,” a yawn interrupted Taeil’s words, “I’ll head home.”

“Are you sure? You sound dead. Maybe you should just stay here for the night…” 

“Mmmm… no. I’m fine.” He yawned again. “I’ll see you later, Jaehyo.”

  
  
  


**Missed call: z I HO** _ 5:02 a.m. _

**Missed call: z I HO** _ 5:02 a.m. _

**Missed call: Minnie** _ 5:10 a.m. _

 

**New message: Kyungcumber**

where the fuck are you??? we’ve been calling non stop. wake up!  _ delivered 5:13 a.m. _

 

**New message: z I HO**

Jaehyo please answer your phone. We really need you here.  _ delivered 5:13 a.m. _

 

**Incoming call: Minnie**

 

Jaehyo’s phone vibrated violently against his desk, shattering the remnants of a rough night’s sleep. “Hullo? Minhyuk-” 

Minhyuk sniffled on the other end. “Where the fu- Why are you still asleep?” 

“Are you crying?”

“Yes! God dammit, Jaehyo. Taeil… He’s in the hospital.”

Jaehyo’s phone fell from his hand. He felt like passing out. He felt like dying. Like his boyfriend. Like one of his best friends. 

_ Stop it. _

“What do you mean? Is this a prank?” He frantically picked up his phone, sweaty hands forming a vice-like grip around it. His phone pressed against his ear to the point where he couldn’t feel his face.

“N-no this isn’t a prank.”

“Jaehyo,” This time, Jiho’s quiet voice entered Jaehyo’s ears. “He’s gonna be ok. The doctor says he broke his wrist, and he probably has a concussion, but he’s gonna be ok.”

“How? How? Tell me.”

Jiho sighed. “He was out driving earlier. We don’t know why…” His voice droned on like a mosquito passing through his brain. This was his fault, wasn’t it? If he hadn’t woken Taeil up, this wouldn’t have happened. He would have still been asleep in his bed, blanket tucked up to his ears.  _ Idiot idiot idiot idiot. _

“I’m sorry.” He hung up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof sorry I hurt Taeil he's my baby


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally finished this!! It feels so weird to have finished something that has been a big part of my life since December. Instead of monthly updates, I'll try to update sometime around once a week! Thank you for reading!

Jaehyo woke up several hours later with messages and calls clogging his phone. He pushed one breath out after the other, and eventually worked up the courage to call someone. Anyone. From last night, Kyung and Minhyuk both seem to be mad. At the thought of calling back Jiho, Jaehyo could feel his steely voice penetrating his chest. 

He scrolled to Jihoon’s contact and pressed call. 

“Hey Jaehyo,” he answered quietly.

“They’re mad at me, aren’t they?” Jaehyo rushed out, skipping a greeting entirely.

“No one truly ever knows how Jiho is feeling. He’s off brooding in the corner. But Kyung keeps calling you a pussy for not showing up, and Minhyuk just seems sad. He’s been sitting by Taeil’s bed muttering. Hyung… I think Minhyuk likes him!” Jihoon squealed. He was probably standing in the hallway, as Jaehyo was the only one Jihoon would gossip to like this.

“That’s not what I needed to know… But whatever. I’m gonna come over. Can you make sure Kyung won’t beat me up please?” 

“Yessir.” Jaehyo could imagine him saluting on the other end, like the dumbass he is sometimes. 

“Bye.”

He slipped his phone into the pocket of his sweatpants. He glanced at himself in the mirror and tousled his hair gently. “Alright, ghosty. I’m leaving now. No obscene ghost parties, no throwing shit, and please go away.” Jaehyo rolled his eyes.

 

“Hyung. Move. I want to see him too,” Jaehyo nudged Minhyuk with his elbow. He had pulled up a stool and was holding Taeil’s broken wrist gently. “Taeil, tell him to fuck off.”

“Minhyuk,” Taeil spoke up.

The man in question whipped his head up. “Yes, hyung?” Jaehyo could swear he saw him bat his eyes. 

“Fuck off.” Even Kyung, who was stewing off to the side, suppressed a snicker. The group loved to see Taeil bully the rest of the boys, as it didn’t happen often. 

Begrudgingly, Minhyuk released Taeil’s hand and stood. Jaehyo pushed him aside. “Hey hyung. Sorry I’m such a jackass.”

“What are you talking about? This isn’t your fault. Even if it was, I wouldn’t be mad at you. I… Nevermind. Did you get to sleep?”

“Yes. Wasn’t Kyung cursing me out earlier?” Taeil rolled his eyes. 

“When Minhyuk deems me to be fit to leave,” he threw a glance at Minhyuk, sulking nearby, “we need to talk about something.” 

Jaehyo gulped. “Taeil I-”

“Hush. We’re talking and nobody is stopping us. Now go home and get more sleep. You look like hell, kid.”

Jaehyo let out a short laugh. Even in a hospital bed, Taeil still had his sense of humor about him. “See ya punks. I got a hot date with me, myself, and I tonight.” 

“Asshole,” Kyung muttered.

 

Jaehyo fell back onto his bed. “Hey, ghost. I’ve come to terms with the fact that you are actively trying to ruin my life right now. Let me guess, you caused Taeil’s crash too, didn’t you?” He rolled his eyes. 

_ Jaehyo. _

“I’m sorry, but what the fuck was that?” His head had snapped up as he backed into the head of the bed. “Who the fuck are you, and why me?” 

_ Jae. _

He bolted. He didn’t bother grabbing his phone, but he held his keys like a pitiful weapon against the invisible attacker. The door slammed behind him and he slid down. He felt a dull pain coming from his back pocket. He reached back with shaking hands, only to pull out his key that was in his hand just moments ago. He could have fainted right then and there. He ignored this, however, and sprinted to the cafe. Haesung was nowhere in sight. Jaehyo was now alone. No one to comfort him. No one to talk to. No one.

He sat down in a chair towards the back of the lobby and pulled out his phone to text Taeil.

 

“hey. has ur bf let u out yet”  _ delivered 7:24 a.m. _

“i mean min YUCK”  _ delivered 7:24 a.m. _

 

**New message: taeillie eomma**

“Hey bud. He let me out a bit ago after he made sure the doctors okayed me to leave about 5 times. But he’s practically up my ass about everything. He wouldn’t let me drive and he is sitting right next to me.”  _ delivered 7:25 a.m. _

 

“gay”  _ delivered 7:26 a.m. _

“yalls gay”  _ delivered 7:26 a.m. _

 

**New message: taeillie eomma**

“Minhyuk said he’ll beat you. Once I pry him off of me and convince him I’m fine, can you come over? Minhyuk kinda stole my keys so I can’t really drive anywhere.”  _ delivered 7:27 a.m. _

 

“of course”  _ delivered 7:29 a.m. _

“promise i wont walk in on sum action k???”  _ delivered 7:30 a.m. _

Jaehyo snickered, practically feeling Taeil’s eyes roll on the other end. “I’m going out again, ghostie boy. Or ghostie girl. Or whatever. Please don’t mess with my stuff, ok? You did it once and it wasn’t funny. I’m trusting you with my apartment. If I come back and it’s trashed or broken, I’m the one that has to fix the mess.” Jaehyo held up a fist playfully, in a better mood than he was during their last “conversation.” 

At this point, Jaehyo wasn’t sure if he believed in ghosts or not. He may have just been carrying on as a way to cope. Maybe it was just fun to pretend there was an invisible roommate that loved to piss him off in the subtlest ways. In some twisted way, it could be considered fun. In a way, it was sad. Disregarding his stance on the supernatural, for the time being, Jaehyo pondered what could be waiting for him back at the dorm. Taeil wanted to talk to him, more than likely in private. Taeil almost never wanted to talk in private; everything he said was good-natured and could be said in the company of others. In private, there was no telling what could happen. Was Jaehyo going to get cussed out? Hit? No, Taeil would never hit anyone; he was too gentle for that. Words can be more fierce and ill-meaning than a fist could ever be. Jiho demonstrated this quite clearly with his steely tone. Jaehyo shuttered at the thought of the last time Jiho was truly mad. He was a force to be reckoned with, physically or just verbally. 

After psyching himself out for a good amount of time, he figured Taeil would be ready for him to come over. He sent a quick text and stuffed his phone on his pocket. “You’re not making me fall this time, ghostie.”

It was like Jaehyo was becoming attached to this ghost. Instead of just calling it an asshole  like he used to do, he’s been referring to it as “ghostie.” It’s like he had a nickname for it. And it wasn’t ok. Yet still, he felt a strange attraction to it, as if he was supposed to be haunted by this specific ghost, at this specific time in his life. 

Jaehyo locked the door and paused as he listened to the rusty click of the lock.

Maybe this ghost was going to be a part of his life from now on, or at least while he still lived in this old apartment. Whatever the case was, they were like friends now. It’s mandatory to befriend someone with whom you’ve broken down in front of, right? That’s what he did with Haesung, after all. 

Jaehyo shook his head. He really needed to quit this. Thinking of things that could never happen, like being assigned some poor ghost that was destined to be his invisible shoulder to cry on and to complain to. He was probably just hearing things when he thought he heard his name, and he probably accidentally brought Ddol’s shampoo with him when he moved. The key situation was a bit harder to explain. Maybe he was just forgetful.  _ Whatever. _

Whatever.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just noticed I haven't uploaded in nearly two weeks! Oops! I've been studying for finals, so I hope you understand. Now, school is out for the summer and I should be able to post more regularly now. I figured there's going to be about 12 or so chapters; we're in the homestretch!

When Jaehyo arrived at his old dorm, things felt odd. Tense. He couldn’t blame his friends for being uptight with him arriving. He had left them, and Kyung quite possibly blamed him for Taeil’s accident. He still had the key to the dorm, which he had grabbed from his glove box in his car. 

Jaehyo slipped his shoes off and padded into the living room, where Jihoon and Minhyuk were watching a movie. Jiho stood to his left, quietly fixing something to eat in the kitchen. It wasn’t uncommon for the boys to fix instant ramen; they weren’t sharing a dorm and the rent for nothing. He set down his bag quietly behind the couch, but maybe not as quiet as he would have liked. Jihoon turned around, and in an instant, he had launched himself towards Jaehyo.

“Hyung!” Jihoon shrieked in a mock-girly voice. “What brings you to the residence of the poor?” Jihoon had his arms wrapped around Jaehyo’s middle in a loose grip. Jaehyo swore Jihoon was a child sometimes. A big man-child. 

“I came to talk to Taeil. I think I’m in trouble with hyung.” Jaehyo shoved at Jihoon, but he only tightened his grip. He called out to Minhyuk for help as Jiho watched in mild amusement. “Hyung help! I’m being attacked by a big ugly man-child!” Minhyuk just snorted in response. Jaehyo looked to Jiho, but he just shook his head and cracked a grin. 

With a few more shoves, Jihoon detached himself from Jaehyo and sunk back to the depths of the couch, where he and Minhyuk both had probably been sitting for the past few hours, knowing how they can be. They could sit for hours just binge watching movies, only getting up every so often to satisfy the munchies or to use the bathroom. Almost immediately after removing his arms from around Jaehyo’s waist, Jihoon’s eyes were once again glued to the screen, as were Minhyuk’s. Jiho had turned back to the stove and stirred his ramen occasionally. Jaehyo saw this as his chance and bolted straight to where he remembered Taeil’s room to be. 

Upon entering, Taeil was laying in a pile of pillows with an empty bowl laying on the dresser next to him. A spoon sat in the bowl, shiny in the light of the open blinds. Standing proudly was a vase of flowers with a small note attached. A get well card lay folded and hidden beneath the vase, which was starting to sweat. A shirt lay dejectedly on the floor, crumpled up and shoved by the foot of the bed.  _ Was that Minhyuk’s shirt? _

“Hey Jaehyo,” Taeil’s quiet voice snapped Jaehyo out of his silent appraisals of the room. “Close the door, please.” Taeil sat up, propping his broken wrist on the pillow across his lap. Jaehyo gulped, and he was sure Taeil could have heard him from across Korea. 

This was it. He was going to die today. From embarrassment of being yelled at by his kind hyung. He turned his back and pulled the door shut slowly; listening to the door squeal on its hinges was better than hearing Taeil yell. He had only heard it once, and it was in a moment of rage brought on by a red light that wouldn’t change. Even then, it wasn’t much more than a grunt and a loud “God damn it!”

“You aren’t in trouble,” The door closed all the way, punctuating Taeil’s words, “I just wanted to talk.” Jaehyo turned back around to face Taeil, looking smaller than ever bundled up in mountains of blankets. “Sit down.” The way he said it seemed so kind, but Jaehyo knew it wasn’t just a suggestion. 

The bed dipped slightly below Jaehyo. “How’s Minhyuk?” He joked, hoping to ease his own tensions.

“Gay. Everyone knows he likes me, yet he thinks he’s smooth. It’s kinda cute, actually. But you’re not here to help me flirt.” He paused. “I don’t know how to say this….” Jaehyo leaned forward a bit, not prepared for whatever Taeil would say. “Before I crashed, I saw... something. Someone.”  
Time stopped. Someone? What the hell does that mean? Did he see Jesus telling him he was destined to die that night? Minhyuk? Him? 

Time resumed. “I think I saw Yukwon. Jiho told me about Ddol’s shampoo at your place, and I’ve just been thinking. Am I crazy? Seeing one of my best friend’s ghost and then crashing my car?”

“I think I’m haunted,” Jaehyo blurted without thought. “My furniture moved from when I first moved in, I had Ddol’s shampoo, my key keeps ending up in my ass even though I know it shouldn’t be there, and I swear I heard  _ him  _ say my name! What a pair of lunatics we are!”

“Jae,” Taeil breathed, “do you believe in ghosts?” 


	8. Chapter 8

An hour later, Jaehyo and Taeil had dragged Minhyuk out to a voodoo store in the questionable part of town. The three of them walked cautiously into the store, Minhyuk practically latched onto Taeil’s bad wrist. The latter winced whenever Minhyuk would grab him too hard. It was obvious that Minhyuk was scared of the shrunken heads that hung around every corner, but wherever Taeil went, Minhyuk had to be. He was his protector and not-so-secret admirer; Jaehyo almost thought it was cute. 

Then he remembered what they were doing. They were going to buy a Ouija Board to see if they couldn’t talk to the ghost that may or may not be haunting the group. So far, only Taeil and Jaehyo have experienced anything, but maybe it was just a coincidence that only the two have been targeted so far? Whatever the case is, Jaehyo wanted to tell this ghost to fuck off.

“Welcome,” a voice croaked from behind them. Minhyuk shrieked and flung his body onto Taeil, looking hilariously large compared Taeil. Jaehyo snickered before he and the two lovebirds bowed their heads. “All clothing items are fifteen percent off. Have a wicked day.” His voice was as if he was trying to sound like nails on a chalkboard. With that, the employee sulked away, and almost disappeared into the dark corners of the dimly lit store. 

“Why did I let you two drag me into this?” Taeil questioned, pushing Minhyuk off of him. Before Jaehyo could come up with a snarky remark, his phone rang in his pocket. 

**Incoming call: Monkey (Jihoon)**

 

“What’s up Ji-” 

“What the fuck is wrong with you assholes? Tell me why my hair is pink!” Jihoon’s howling interrupted Jaehyo. “Which one of you bastards switched the dye?!”

“Hold on hold on hold on. What are you talking about?” Jaehyo tried to calm him down. “How do you manage to dye your hair pink? I thought you were just going blond?”  
“The hair dye told me to think again. Now, which one of you fuckers did it?” Jaehyo could feel anger dripping from his voice. The youngest could be scary when he wanted to, and right now, he really wanted to. 

Jaehyo pulled the phone from his face and looked at the confused pair before him, as all they could hear was the tinny voice shrieking on the other end of the phone. “Jihoon now has pink hair and is accusing us of his dumb-assery.” The other two shook their head. 

“Don’t tell me, it was a ghost?” 

“Shit, I gotta go.” Before he could protest, Jaehyo hung up the phone. “I need to borrow Taeil for a second.” He abruptly announced before dragging him off in a random direction. They rounded shelves stocked with crosses and pentagrams galore. Jaehyo stopped him in a small corner in front of a wall containing fake shrunken heads. 

“What the hell Jaehyo?” Taeil shoved his hand off his own arm and rubbed the sore patch where it was held in a close to a vice-like grip. 

“Jihoon said maybe it was a ghost.” Jaehyo panted, nearly out of breath from the brief running. “I know he was sarcastic, but would that make sense? There’s a fucking ghost wanting to mess with us in any way it can. I don’t know why it made you crash when it just ‘pranked’ Jihoon and me.”

“Thanks, ghost.” Taeil held up his hand, almost as if it were a middle finger.

“Wait a minute. Kwon had pink hair when….” He paused. “I swear to God if our entire group got assigned a ghost to remind us of my dead boyfriend I will die.” 

“Let’s just get that stupid Ouija Board and get out of here before Minhyuk starts whining.”

“I don’t think we can get out of here without him whining.” Jaehyo snorted. “Do you think he stayed in the same place?” They both looked at each other and shook their heads, cracking a grin. They retraced their steps to where they thought they left Minhyuk, passing vinyls of obscure goth artists, shirts donning holes and fake blood, and ugly, evil versions of children’s games. At the entrance of the store, Minhyuk was nowhere to be found. Jaehyo rolled his eyes. “He probably went off looking for us to make sure I wasn’t licking into your mouth.” 

“Ew Jaehyo I don’t even like him like that, pervert.” Taeil stuck out his tongue. 

“Guys where are you?” Minhyuk shouted from across the store. After he yelled, a loud crash sounded off in the same direction, followed by Minhyuk squealing. Moments later, Minhyuk scrambled up to the pair, frowning. “What was that all about? You guys left me.” The three looked at each other; Taeil and Jaehyo shared a knowing glance. 

“We’ll tell you in a bit,” Taeil spoke. “Let’s just buy the board and get out of here.” 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a long chapter!

In the car ride home, Minhyuk broke the tense silence. “Someone pushed me in there.” Jaehyo tensed. “That’s why I fell. When I turned around, no one was there. I think that store is haunted.” Minhyuk continued to babble on about how the employees probably abducted innocent customers and sacrificed them to their boss, and their ghosts still roam the stores, alone. While Minhyuk was incredible at storytelling, Jaehyo’s mind wandered as he drove. 

“I’m sure it was nothing,” Taeil piped up from the back seat and patted Minhyuk’s shoulder. He continued to mutter.

“Yukwon’s ghost is haunting us,” Jaehyo blurted, at first unaware of his own words until Minhyuk whispered to his side, “dude what the fuck.” 

Taeil audibly gulped from the back of the car. “He’s right. There’s been a lot of weird things going on since Jaehyo moved into his new apartment. And I think… I saw  _ him _ right before I crashed. Now Jihoon’s hair is the same color as his, and you got pushed while we had plans of trying to communicate with him or whoever it may be.” Jaehyo stopped at a red light. 

_ Jae, _ a voice whispered. Jaehyo gasped as he felt cold fingerprints run up his arm and then down. As if he were still driving, Jaehyo slammed on the brakes. “I can’t do this.” He gasped, suddenly out of breath with tears pricking at his eyes. He frantically began attempting to undo his seatbelt. The other two occupants of the car shared a worried glance, Taeil’s stomach churning. Snapped out of his momentary concerned trance, Minhyuk began tugging at Jaehyo, who was now trying to open the car door. His hand was slapped away before Jaehyo managed to open the door. He jumped out into the road and ran. 

The light turned green. 

“Ahn Jaehyo get your ass back here this instant!” Taeil shouted through the open window. He sighed. “Minhyuk, drive. We have to find him before he does something.”

Minhyuk turned, looking pale. “It’s him. He’s here.” His eyes rolled back into his head as his body slumped into the seat. 

“Goddammit, what is happening to us?” With his bad hand snug against his chest, Taeil cracked the door and hobbled into the street. He muttered “pansy” under his breath, so Minhyuk definitely couldn’t hear him. He hopped into the driver’s seat and buckled his seatbelt. Taeil felt nervous at the wheel, seeing as the last time he drove he broke his wrist. He pushed his foot against the gas pedal, his body falling slightly back against the seat as Jaehyo’s car accelerated. Driving with one hand was harder than he thought. 

Taeil drove aimlessly in the direction he saw Jaehyo run off to for a few minutes before giving up, parking the car, and dialing his number. The phone rang for a few seconds before his call was answered. Jaehyo’s end was silent for a moment, and Taeil was unsure if Jaehyo had actually answered his phone. Moments later, his heavy breathing gave him away.

“Jaehyo, where are you?” Taeil asked in the calmest voice he could muster. To be honest, he was freaking out. One of his friends ditched him and ran off to who knows where, and his other friend is still passed out in the car beside him. 

“He said my name. I heard him–” A sob punctured Jaehyo’s words, “–and he said my name.”

“Hey, listen to me. Where are you? I can pick you up and we can take you home and just sit for a bit and recover. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” Taeil held his phone to his face, anxious. 

“Corner of Main and 5th.” Jaehyo whispered, sounding almost paranoid. 

“I’m on my way now.” Jaehyo hung up. “Kim Yukwon you listen to me. You are being an ass. You’re hurting us, and you need to stop.” A rush of cold wind swirled around the car, blowing Taeil’s bangs about. He was left shivering and confused. 

Jaehyo was where he claimed to be. He stood, tears streaking down his face. Taeil frowned, distressed by seeing his friend cry. Jaehyo walked up to the car, shielding his face from potentially judging eyes. “What happened to him?” Jaehyo asked, nodding at Minhyuk. He pulled at the handle and climbed into the backseat of his own car. 

“I’m not sure. He started muttering about ‘him,’” Taeil air quoted with his fingers, “and then passed out. He’s probably fine.” He added at the end. “Are you ok? Did you see something?”

Jaehyo shook his head as Taeil started the car. “I felt something.” He shuttered. “It was like fingers touching my arm, and I heard my name again…” He trailed off, feeling a bit dumb about this whole experience. “Let’s go home. I wanna talk to him.” Taeil nodded solemnly and pressed down on the gas pedal. 

 

Fifteen minutes later, Minhyuk had woken up, dazed. “What happened?” He rubbed at his eyes and frowned.

“You passed out, but don’t worry, you look cute sleeping,” Taeil said with an added wink. Jaehyo frowned, disgusted by their flirting. Minhyuk just blushed. “We’re going back to Jaehyo’s place now, and you have to believe us that Yukwon really is here. He caused my crash, and he was the one that pushed you in the store. Poor Jaehyo has been getting tormented all along. Maybe it was an accident, or maybe Yukwon switched Jihoon’s hair dye. Whatever happened, it’s pretty funny.” Minhyuk nodded, still out of it. Outside, a car honked at a woman crossing the street. Jaehyo began to drift off. 

_ It’s crazy how everyone has their own lives,  _ he thought. Each person felt differently about each thing; they have fights with themselves at night too. Everyone had their own demons, or in Jaehyo’s case, a ghost. It seemed strange that this could ever be possible. Maybe he and his friends were imagining things, stringing coincidences together to form a web of deceit and delusion. Or he was imagining his friends altogether; they never existed in the first place. What he knew to be his friends were really his mind playing tricks on him, or maybe they were just robots. Or aliens. 

“...Jaehyo?” Taeil’s voice broke the trance Jaehyo’s head swam in.

“Hmm?” He looked up, head still reeling. 

“I said ‘Are you sure you want to do this’?” Taeil repeated. He glanced up in the rearview mirror. His eyes reflected back at Jaehyo, along with the concern embedded in them. 

“Oh. Yeah, I’m sure. I want to get to the bottom of this. Let’s just get this over with.” He shook his head, attempting to clear his mind of the odd thoughts. Taeil nodded, returning his eyes to the road. 

Minhyuk, chatty as ever, tried to strike up a conversation with Jaehyo. “So… how long have you known?” 

“Since I moved into the apartment.” Shoulders slumped, he frowned. Why would Yukwon decide to start haunting him only after he moved from the dorm? “First it started out with little pranks like hiding my keys and moving around the furniture. Then Ddol’s shampoo ended up in my bathroom when Jiho came over, and now I’m hearing my name, and things are touching me.” Are the other boys haunted too? If so, why would Yukwon want to harm any of them? Why would he have caused Taeil’s crash? If anything, Taeil and Yukwon were the closest friends of the group. They would never hurt each other on purpose. 

“Creepy.” Minhyuk responded, eloquent as ever. “Why do you think this is happening?”

“Minhyuk.” Jaehyo started. “Do you think I’m in Yukwon’s ghost mind?” 

“Good point.” He paused. “Do you think he really switched Jihoon’s hair dye?” 

A smile tugged at Jaehyo’s lips, showing beneath the cracked mask of desperation he wore. “That would be funny.”

“Are we going to tell everyone else?” Taeil interjected. 

“Not until after we use the board. It’s not like we can just claim to be haunted by my dead boyfriend.” Jaehyo crossed his arms in front of his chest, feeling cold. 

The car pulled into the parking lot of the building where Jaehyo was staying. Taeil put it in park, took off his seatbelt, and turned to face Minhyuk and Jaehyo, who was still sitting behind him. “Ready?” Jaehyo nodded, brave face not showing the uncertainty locked in his eyes. Taeil nodded as well, glancing at Minhyuk, who also seemed uncertain. If he was honest, he didn’t want to do this; but he would follow Taeil to the end of the world. He was absolutely smitten, to say the least.

Upon entering the building, Jaehyo saw Haesung sitting in his usual chair, a newspaper in his gentle hand. He hid behind Taeil, which wasn’t the best thing to do, considering his height. Haesung glanced in the direction of the chuckle that erupted from Minhyuk. He waved and flicked open his newspaper, as if he could tell that Jaehyo was occupied. Jaehyo smiled politely and ushered his friends in the direction of his room. 

“He’s a friend,” Jaehyo whispered, hoping Haesung wouldn’t hear.

“He’s a bit old, isn’t he?” Minhyuk questioned, which was answered with a sharp smack in the head by Taeil. 

“Be quiet!” Taeil whisper-shouted to a wounded-looking Minhyuk. He rubbed the back of his head, obviously hoping for Taeil’s attention. 

Jaehyo shook his head. “I met him one night in that cafe when I couldn’t sleep. He started talking about how his wife died and it made me think of Yukwon so I ran out crying like a pussy.” Jaehyo spoke once they were safely out of earshot and up the stairs. 

Minhyuk, still cradling his head, said, “You’re not a wimp. It sucks what happened and you were really hurt by it.” 

Taeil nodded and placed his hand on Jaehyo’s back. “Are you sure you still want to do this?”  
Jaehyo shimmied out of his grasp. “Yes, Taeil. I’m sure.” He snapped. “I want to get this over with so I can tell him what a little bitch he is being.” With that, his shoulders slumped. “I miss him though. What if it isn’t even him? What if we can’t get in contact with him?” Jaehyo worried aloud. 

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Taeil frowned, unsure. 

In a sudden burst of remembrance, Jaehyo laughed. “Jihoon has pink hair.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second to last chapter! Should I add one-shots of their life before the accident?

In his room, Jaehyo looked around. Nothing seemed out of the usual. Upon further examination, Jaehyo found Ddol’s shampoo sitting on the counter, where Jiho had left it. Except his note lay ripped in half next to the bottle. “Really, Yukwon?” Jaehyo muttered, shaking his head. 

“Why do you have Ddol’s shampoo? We’ve been looking for it,” Minhyuk questioned, pointing it out. 

“Minhyuk, we’ve been over this,” Taeil responded, sounding more like a mother than the oldest friend. Minhyuk nodded. 

“Did he actually rip the note?” Jaehyo walked up to where it stood, Jiho’s handwriting still visible, save for the tear down the middle. He shook his head. “Leave it to Yukwon.” A cold settled over the room. The three looked up at each other. 

“Do you think he’s here?” Taeil asked timidly, to which Jaehyo responded with a solemn nod. Jaehyo sat down, followed by Taeil, and then Minhyuk. Minhyuk sat down close to Taeil, worried about using the board. “Where is it?” Taeil questioned, glancing up at Jaehyo. 

“I have it.” He muttered, unsure of whether or not he wanted to go through with this. He pulled it out of the bag from the gothic store and set the box in the center of the circle they had formed. The cold had progressed from subtle to seeping into their bones. It nipped at their exposed skin and ate away at their clothes. Minhyuk shivered and scooted closer to Taeil. Jaehyo’s lips twitched in an attempt to upturn, but he subdued them. Maybe they would make a cute couple. “Let’s get this over with, ok? I have work today.” The other two nodded. 

Jaehyo tore open the box to reveal a brand new Ouija Board sitting placidly in its box. Nothing supernatural yet; so far so good. “Everyone knows how to work a board?” He asked. They nodded once more and each placed two fingers on the planchette. “Is anyone here with us now?”

The planchette moved to YES.

Jaehyo breathed in deeply. “Can you tell us your name?”

Once more, it moved slowly with the users’ fingers atop it. K-I-M.

“Do you have a first name?” Jaehyo asked, swallowing.

NO.

“Okay, Kim.” He paused, unsure of how to continue. “Do you know what has been happening to my friends?” 

YES. A pause. K-E-Y-S. Pause. C-R-A-S-H.

“Are you our friend?” Minhyuk blurted. 

It seemed like the planchette hesitated before it moved, slower than before. YES.

“Can I ask something, Kim?” Taeil spoke slowly, almost as if he were afraid to provoke the ghost. 

YES.

“Are you… Do you know Kim Yukwon?”

M. E.

“I’m gonna throw up. Goodbye.” Minhyuk removed his fingers before running to the bathroom. 

The remaining two moved their eyes from the planchette, still lingering on E, to where Minhyuk sat, then to the bathroom.

“I’m going to check on him. Goodbye, Yukwon.” Taeil removed his fingers as well.

“It’s just us.” Jaehyo felt his eyes watering. “Do you- do you miss me?”

YES. E-V-E-R-Y-D-A-Y. 

The time it took to spell out the word felt like an eternity to Jaehyo. Tears began to spill out from his eyes. Uncontrolled and unashamed, Jaehyo wiped his eyes, careful to leave his fingers on the planchette. “I miss you too…” The clock on the wall read 2:24; half an hour until he needed to leave. “Why have you been hurting us?”

N-O.

No?

D-I-D-N-T M-E-A-N. 

“Then why did Taeil crash? And why are you scaring me?”

D-I-D-N-T M-E-A-N. C-R-A-S-H N-O-T M-E. 

The way Jaehyo’s dead boyfriend spoke sounded archaic, but it must have been exhausting to move the planchette so often to accommodate his interrogation. “It wasn’t your fault?”

NO.

“Were you playing pranks on us?”

YES. 

“Did you switch Jihoon’s hair dye?”

The planchette moved away from YES briefly, only to return. 

Jaehyo shook his head with a smile. “You know, I think Minhyuk is just hamming it up to get Taeil’s attention. Or is he actually scared?” 

NO.

Jaehyo laughed. “I miss you, Yukwon.”

M-E T-O-O.

“I’ll see you in a few years ok?”

YES.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter! I want to thank everyone so much for sticking with me! And thank you to my girlfriend for inspiring me and helping me throughout this entire process.

Once Jaehyo said goodbye to Yukwon, he felt a sense of closure. His boyfriend was haunting him, and he was okay with that. He felt connected with him still, like someone Up There had assigned him a ghost. After carefully putting the board back in its box, he crept into the bathroom, hoping to find Minhyuk and Taeil both fully clothed. 

What he found was Minhyuk asleep in Taeil’s arms. He must have been “exhausted” from how “scared” he was. Yukwon wouldn’t lie to him, even as a ghost. His ghost intuition could more than likely sense if Minhyuk was truly scared or not. Either Taeil wanted to be alone with him, or he actually fell for Minhyuk’s act. Regardless, they looked cute together. 

Taeil noticed Jaehyo lingering in the doorway and smiled warmly. “Maybe,” he whispered, “I do like him. Just a bit.” 

  
  


Months later, Jaehyo pulled out the same Ouija Board from his dusty closet. His room had become much more his own, now containing a plant and some of the artwork he had recently created. He installed a set of curtains himself to block out the light outside his window that still flickered each night. Next to his bed sat a picture of Yukwon and himself that he smiled at whenever he was in bed. Maybe Yukwon could tether to this item, and stay longer. 

After finding out about Yukwon’s ghost, the rest of the boys demanded Jaehyo break out the Board once more to talk to him. Eventually, Jaehyo gave in and invited them over one Saturday night. He stocked his apartment with pizzas and litres of sodas to satisfy the never-ending urge to eat that occupied the boys’ bodies. Taeil and Minhyuk arrived first, hand in hand. This time around, Minhyuk refused to participate in the seance. Instead, he would sit on the bed and ogle at his new boyfriend the entire time. Next came Jiho, who refused to carpool with the Kyung and Jihoon. He sat down in a chair across from Jaehyo’s bed after politely smiling. 

Nearly 20 minutes later, the final car pulled into the parking lot. When Jaehyo noticed, he took a moment to observe his surroundings. The leaves had begun to change, shining vermillion in the fall sun. Dead leaves lay scattered around the area, rotting and brown. The air was a bit cooler now, meaning Jaehyo had an excuse to pull out his extensive sweater collection; he was quite a fashionable man. 

It’s been nearly a year since the accident. In that time, Jaehyo has grown. He’s not sure how he has, but he knows it’s true. He has become more independent; after all, he moved out of the dorm. He took a step in the right direction when he started painting, almost as if it’s a way to cope with what happened. There are still some nights where he has dreams, and others where he wakes up in a cold sweat, wanting to find Yukwon asleep beside him. However, they’re not as frequent. He won’t ever be able to move on, especially not since discovering he can still talk to him. He doesn’t know if he’ll ever be able to date anybody else. For now, he’s focusing on himself, and himself only. He’s getting his new life together, slowly but surely. 

Kyung and Jihoon stumbled in, smelling of beer. 

“What have I told you about getting him drunk, Park Kyung?” Taeil glared at the man in question. 

Jihoon shrugged in response. “It was like, three dollars. Tastes like garbage, but it was like two dollars.” Taeil rolled his eyes, and Minhyuk snickered. 

“I’m kicking you out of the seance,” Jaehyo stated. “I can’t believe you would drive drunk, for one, and two, show up blasted for something that means a lot to me.” Jaehyo frowned at the pair. “Just, go sit down or something.” He shook his head, disappointed in the two. “Whatever. Let’s just get this going.” 

The three that were sober and not-scared sat down around the board. Jaehyo opened it up and threw the box off somewhere behind him. He swallowed, nervous like the first time. 

“Are we ready?” Taeil and Jaehyo both nodded. They placed their fingers on the planchette. 

“Hello?”  
Slowly, the planchette moved from where it rested in the center of the board. 

HELLO. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHO'S BACK  
> A short flashback of what life was like before the accident.

Yukwon settled on Jaehyo’s lap, legs tucked behind him. Jaehyo’s legs were kicked up on the dorm’s coffee table. The younger hummed as he nestled his face into his boyfriend’s neck. 

“Kwonnie, your face is cold,” Jaehyo whined. His arms snaked around his waist, hands clasping together at his tailbone. 

Yukwon pulled back to stare down at the elder. “Your neck is warm,” he commented. “Now stop whining.” 

Jaehyo rolled his eyes at his boyfriend’s demand. “Pink looks good on you.” He brought his hand to a strand of hair. He grabbed it and pulled slightly, earning a flick to his forehead. “Don’t treat hyung like that.” He pouted. 

“Aww, I’m sorry  _ hyung.  _ What can I do to make it up to you?” Something in his voice made Jaehyo wonder what he would be willing to do. The rational part of his brain told him not to push his limits, as the boys were home. 

“How about you give me a kiss?” Jaehyo suggested. Innocent enough. 

“Where?” The other asked with a devilish smirk. 

“The boys are home, Kwon.”

“We don’t have to do it on the couch. We have a bedroom you know…” 

“Don’t you remember how loud you are?” Jaehyo teased. 

“Not my fault my boyfriend is a sex god. Plus, you could always do something to stop that.” Yukwon shrugged, feigning innocence. 

“Not today.” 

Yukwon huffed. “Fine. Then I’ll just do it myself.” He tried pulling back, only to find himself stuck in Jaehyo’s firm embrace. 

“Not if I have anything to do with it. You’re going to stay here with me, okay?” 

Yukwon huffed again, then stuck his face back in the crook of the elder’s neck. He planted small kisses wherever he could reach. Jaehyo tried distracting himself by fumbling with the remote, attempting to turn something on the television. Not getting the reaction he wanted, Yukwon aimed higher. His lips glided across the tan expanse of the elder’s neck until they latched onto a spot and suck.

Jaehyo drew in a breath. “The boys are gonna give us hell for that.” 

Yukwon pulled off with a pop. “I know.”  He returned to Jaehyo’s skin, kissing and biting along his jawline.

“Yukwon-” Jaehyo started, but was cut off by Yukwon’s tongue being shoved into his mouth. He let the younger have his fun for a moment, but then he pushed him back. Yukwon stared down at a flustered Jaehyo, face red and chest heaving. “You gotta stop,” he finished. 

“Why should I listen? This is what you asked for, no?” He cocked his head to the side. 

“Yes but-” He was cut off once more by Yukwon’s lips pressing to his. Eventually, he gave in and kissed him back. However, he had enough of the younger being in control. The simple solution was to flip him onto his back. Jaehyo straddled his boyfriend and attacked him from above. 

“What the fuck?!” Jihoon yelled down the hall.

“I told you that was gonna happen!” Kyung yelled back. Their footsteps grew closer. Jaehyo tried pulling back to save face, but Yukwon pulled him back down. He bucked his hips and let out a noise that disappeared in Jaehyo’s mouth. 

Before Jaehyo could process what was happening, Kyung and Jihoon, still arguing, had reached the front room. Their voices stopped at the sight of their two friends making out on their couch. Their shared couch. 

“Gross!” Hollered Jihoon.

“Get a room!” Kyung shouted. He picked up a pillow from the floor and chucked it at the boyfriends. 

It hit Jaehyo in the head, who finally gathered the strength to pull off of his boyfriend. Yukwon pushed the elder off of him and jumped off the couch. He pulled Jaehyo into their room, giggling, while the two younger boys yelled at them the whole way. He slammed the door behind them, creating a loud noise that drew Taeil out of his room. He looked half asleep.

“What was that about?” He asked, rubbing at his head. 

“Lovebirds being lovebirds,” Kyung answered. It was apparently funny, as it roused a booming laugh out of the youngest. 

“I don’t even want to know,” Taeil sighed and went back into his room. 

He made sure to put in headphones; he didn’t care to hear what the two “lovebirds” were doing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment and check out my other works <333

**Author's Note:**

> please comment it would make my day


End file.
